


Hair Dye Party

by thegraeyone



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Guys Being Pals, Hair Dyeing, Nail Polish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 04:32:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18652963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegraeyone/pseuds/thegraeyone
Summary: Yugi wormed his way into Kaiba’s life and stayed there, bringing all his little friends along with him. They were annoyances, mostly, and minor inconveniences on the worst days, but Kaiba admitted he spent a little longer in their company each time, and he no longer immediately turned down invitations. And it was fun, on occasion. Evenings spent watching bad action movies on Yugi’s couch, afternoons spent discussing strategies and trading cards, bored lunch hours where Kaiba did not engage but did listen.As with many things for Seto Kaiba, it escalated from there.





	Hair Dye Party

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a conversation about Kaiba dying his hair that I immediately ran with. Kaiba making friends is maybe the most important thing in the world to me? Especially being friends with Yugi and Joey?? I tried not to make this shippy but listen I'm weak.

The chemical smell stung Kaiba's nose as Yugi's gloved hands rubbed through his hair. The bathub ran in the other room, drowning out the music that played from the stereo on his dresser. His head dipped low, and he picked at the towel around his neck, ancient stains faded on the rough brown cloth. Yugi was methodical as he painted thick stripes. The faucet shut off, and he could hear Joey moving around. Yugi twisted his bangs back, ,and the gel of the hair dye was cool where it stuck to his hairline.

"How's it going in here?" Joey asked as he came into the room. He'd removed his shirt, and he scratched a towel through his blond hair.

"I think it's gonna look good." Yugi smiled down at him. "How're you feeling, Kaiba?"

He narrowed his eyes at him. "My hair hasn't fallen out yet."

Joey laughed and dropped in front of him, crossing his legs. "I think it's gonna look good."

"Should I do his eyebrows too?" Yugi asked.

"What eyebrows?"

Kaiba grimaced at him, and he only laughed some more, shaking out his hair so water droplets splashed against his jeans. Yugi giggled behind him as well and stepped back, stripping the pink gloves from his hands. His own hair was clipped back, the red dye he used on his tips a cheery cola color.

Kaiba wasn't one hundred percent sure how they'd gotten him to agree to this. Yugi constantly offered the hand of friendship, which Kaiba brushed aside. He'd hoped, at first, he'd get the idea and eventually stop asking if he'd like to come with them to Burger World or hang out after school or meet them at the arcade, but Yugi was persistent. He wormed his way into Kaiba's life and stayed there, bringing all his little friends along with him. They were annoyances, mostly, and minor inconveniences on the worst days, but Kaiba admitted he spent a little longer in their company each time, and he no longer immediately turned down invitations. And it was fun, on occasion. Evenings spent watching bad action movies on Yugi's couch, afternoons spent discussing strategies and trading cards, bored lunch hours where Kaiba did not engage but did listen.

He liked collecting information on his quote-unquote friends, cataloging away the things they said for later. It was how he knew about Tristan building his own motorcycle and which colleges Tea was applying to in America, and it was how he'd first learned Joey and Yugi spent on a Friday night out of every month doing what they'd referred to as their 'hair dying party'. Kaiba could usually tell by the brighter strands in Joey's hair and the new color of polish that decorated their nails.

They'd brought a few bottles to school one day and painted the nails of all their friends over a lunch period. When Yugi had turned to Kaiba and asked if he wanted to pick a color, he'd nearly said no out of principle. A professional manicurist did his hands every other week, something he did as part of his image as Kaiba Corp CEO. The colors that sat out on Yugi's desk were in garish pinks and yellows or the cool dark blacks and purples, but there was a bottle of electric blue that remained untouched. Kaiba had watched the others laughing and teasing as they played nail salon, and after a few minutes he'd moved to the chair across from Yugi, who only smiled and held out a hand before uncapping the bottle.

The others would probably be surprised at how little attention Kaiba actually paid to his appearance. It was automatic to him at this point, between his school uniform and the white coat that acted as his work uniform, the only other thing he cared about was maintenance to that persona. But he'd spent the day curling his fingers into his palm and examining the bright color, and it distracted him as he typed on his computer, and caught the thin moonlight when he finally laid his head down in his bed at home.

"Bold choice," Joey said as he admired the now empty box of Phantom Green hair dye.

"45 minute timer," Yugi announced and set it on his nightstand. "I'm gonna wash mine out. No fighting."

"I'm being extremely civil this evening," Kaiba called as the bathroom door shut behind him.

Joey snorted and tossed the box in the trash. "Only 'cause you know Yugi would mess it up if you weren't."

"I'm not entirely convinced he hasn't." He raised a hand over his head but didn't let himself touch it. There was a decent chance the skin would be stained for a few days, but he was already committed.

"It's an easy fix back if ya don't like it," Joey said. "You shoulda seen me the first time I did this on my own. It turned orange, and I couldn't get my old man to give me the money to dye it back. I had to live with it for a week before I couldn't take it anymore and swiped a box from the corner store."

It occurred to Kaiba he'd never seen his natural hair color, though the dark brush of his eyebrows gave some clue. He again resisted the urge to fiddle with his own hair, which was clumped and sticky against the back of his neck. Joey watched him a moment before jumping up and pulling a black sticker covered caboodle out and tossing it open. Black eyeliners mixed with hair clips in a jumbled mess, and beneath that the collection of nail polish. He started pulling out colors, shaking them at Kaiba for consideration.

You're gonna stain your hands if you keep messing with it," he said. "You could get a color a match."

Kaiba glanced at his clean cuticles. The last polish hadn't lasted a week, scrubbed and replaced with a clear coat. He reached down and picked out a richer shade of purple. He uncapped it and examined the shiny color.

"You want me to do it for you?" Joey asked.

"Sure," he said.

He gestured for him to join him on the floor, and with a sigh, Kaiba did. Joey's calloused fingers held his gently, and he bent his head in concentration as he applied the cool polish. Kaiba watched the clean lines he made. The bathroom door opened, and he looked up to see Yugi brushing out the wet strands of hair, the red lined his tips fresh and bright. He stretched out on the floor beside Joey and dug through the caboodle himself.

"It's a cool color you picked," Yugi said, lining up his various shades of black. "I didn't think you'd go with something like that."

"Very comic book villain," Joey said. "Put that purple coat on again and you got a real Joker vibe."

Kaiba smirked. "How do you know that's not what I'm going for?"

He peered up at him, his own smile lopsided. "Don't try to make me think you're cool, Kaiba."

"We all know Kaiba loves a clown," Yugi said as he lifted up a gold flecked bottle to the light, and then his eyes darted to Kaiba's face as he realized what he said. Both of them leaned back a fraction of an inch, as though he would fly off the handle at even the slightest jab.

Alright, maybe he would have not that long ago. But he was proving to them (and Mokuba, and himself) that he would potentially have a little bit of fun.

"We can't all love magicians," he said, lifting his right hand as Joey finished with it.

Joey stifled a laugh as he ducked his head again. "Ask Yugi what he did with his Dark Magician poster before you came over."

Yugi's cheeks immediately went bright red, and he threw his arms around Joey as if to physically stop him. "No!"

Kaiba glanced up at the dark colored walls of the room. "Did he place it under a magical hat?"

They were both laughing now, Joey's lines growing shaky as he tried to hold it in. Yugi's forehead pressed against him, making it even harder to hold still.

"If you tell him about that," he warned, "I get to tell him about the Flaming Swordsman poster you bought at the convention."

"That thing is a work of art." Joey grinned at his friend. "It's _classy_."

Yugi flopped dramatically back onto the ground, crossing his arms over his face. "Kaiba's not allowed to know what fanart you look at. It'll break him."

"I've seen the most of it," Kaiba said. "I doubt you have anything that can surprise me."

Joey arched an eyebrow at him. "Please tell me that means you were looking at dirty pictures of dragons because me and Tristan have a bet going--"

"I'm declaring this conversation over!" Yugi shouted and crawled over to his box TV and stack of VHS tapes. "We're going to watch something nice instead."

Joey snickered and rubbed his nail down the line of Kaiba's to fix the sloppier bits he'd done. "You're the one that brought it up, Yug."

He stuck his tongue out at him and lifted up a box with a picture of a sad looking unicorn standing against a blue background before jamming it into the player. Joey grinned at Kaiba, inviting him in on the joke, and he ducked his head down to examine the finished nails. He could see the hexadecimal code for the colors he'd chosen, listed nowhere in the Kaiba Corp manual or style guide. He wondered how long it would take for the coat to chip and leave uneven edges. It reminded him of the more garish color that was bleeding into his roots as he felt his scalp itch.

"I always knew you were wild, Kaiba," Joey said as he tossed the nail polish back into the container. "Figured you'd go for a more natural color, or you'd wanna bleach it so you can be handsome like me."

Kaiba ignored the waggle of his eyebrows. "I am known for my subtlety."

"He's stealing my style," Yugi said as he dragged pillows off his bed.

Joey nodded sagely. "You should sue."

"Please," Kaiba said as he examined his nails one more time. "If you ever need to license your image, Yugi, I know I'll be the first phone call you make."

He pulled the blanket free and tossed it at Joey. "Don't tempt me. Are we gonna watch this movie or not?"

"Alright, alright." Joey dragged the blanket over and fixed it over the pile of pillows, creating a nest, and he plopped down in it. Yugi settled at his side as the grainy previews faded into the opening.

Kaiba stared at them and the casualness with which they sat. Their legs crossed over each other, and they would shove each other playfully, and Yugi let out a wheezing laugh when Joey pressed a finger into his side. They were always like that, the two most affectionate people in their cadre, but the familiarity struck him every time.

Yugi leaned over the back of their makeshift couch and looked at Kaiba, who felt almost embarrassed by his gaze. Like he was some voyeur caught glimpsing something intimate. But his expression was easy and unbothered.

"Do you wanna sit with us, Kaiba?" he asked. "There's plenty of room."

He glanced down, watching his fingers curl over his knees. "I'm afraid I'll get this gunk everywhere."

Yugi smiled, the way he often did when he was being understanding. "You should at least sit closer. The TV's not very good."

Kaiba let out an indignant sigh, but he did sit behind them, refusing to acknowledge the smiles they both threw his way.

It turned out the TV was less of a problem and more the volume of its viewers. Joey and Yugi talked constantly, dragging Kaiba into their inane conversations. He and Joey were debating dragon cards when the timer went off, and Yugi ushered Kaiba into his bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bathtub while he ran the water.

"You just wash it out until the water runs clear," Yugi was saying. He patted the towel he'd put down, more comfort than anything else. "Do you want help or...?"

He grimaced at the set up and wrapped the towel around his neck. "If I'm spared any commentary from Wheeler."

Joey leaned against the doorway. "I'm dying to see Yugi dunk you underwater."

Yugi shot him a look as he gestured for Kaiba to join him. The towel didn't do much for comfort as he crouched down, neck bent and outstretched so the faucet of warm water hit him. He winced as it immediately overflowed over his face, stringing rivulets of green, and Yugi gently angled his face to prevent that. The towel around his neck was almost immediately soaked, but after a minute he managed to settle some. He could hear Yugi and Joey saying something, but the rush of water in his hears was a blanket of white noise, and the warmth soothing. Yugi grabbed the bottle of shampoo that came with the color and started working it through the thick strands of hair. Yugi said something that made Joey laugh, the rumble of it a low resonance. The move still played in the other room, a quiet scene with soft music wafting in and out of his periphery. Kaiba felt himself relax into it.

He opened his eyes to see the Halloween green water below him. The color was starting to wash away, but he ecouldn't tell by the dark strands hanging down exactly how it turned out. He thought of Joey's story of how poorly his first color had gone, and he felt a stab of anxiety. His image team would have words, he was sure, and it would make him look like a kid to the rest of the company, some silly seventeen year old who played punk and didn't deserve to run things and didn't deserve his name, another impulsive decisions on his part that ran aground.

Kaiba closed his eyes again as Yugi turned off the faucet and squeezed the wet hair. He helped Kaiba up and pulled the towel over his head. A hairdryer was pushed into his hands. Yugi smiled at him expectantly.

"I can handle this myself," Kaiba said stiffly.

"Come on, Yugi." Joey nodded his head back towards the pillow pile. "I think we can leave the scarecrow alone."

He narrowed his eyes at Joey, who stuck his tongue out in response. The door remained partly open as Yugi trotted through. Kaiba sighed and turned on the hairdryer, hoping the heavy hum of its fan would drown out his thoughts.

Little by little, his hair dried, and as he turned his head, he examined the color. Yugi had done a good job of it. He'd thought his hair was too dark to match the image on the box, but it came out a true shade of dark green, shining in the singular light of Yugi's bathroom. He ran his hands through it a few times as he turned the dryer off, but he wasn't sure his final opinion. It looked less garish than he'd expected, but no more natural. He made a face in the mirror and imagined that adorning any of the tech or business magazines that printed his name. In the wrinkled and wrung out shirt, with the green hair, making a silly face, did he even really look like Seto Kaiba?

He wondered if it would bother him if he didn't.

Kaiba pulled open the door to the bathroom and rejoined the other two as they finished their movie. They looked up at him.

"It looks good," Joey piped up.

Yugi only watched him with his big violet eyes. "How do you feel?"

Kaiba sucked in a breath. He felt childish and silly, but he felt satisfied at the same time. The ups and downs of his mood were happening too quickly to stabilize into anything substantial.

"You did a good job," he said. Not really an answer, but the truth.

Yugi smiled. "Thanks, Kaiba. And we can always try something else if you decide you don't like it."

"Maybe," he murmured.

He and Joey had spread out further, and he patted the seat between them. Kaiba let out the breath, and he settled in the spot, keeping his back rigid and his chin up. Both of them were looking, but he focused on the TV screen in front of him, even though he barely had any idea what was going on. Silence reigned for all of three minutes before Wheeler had to break it.

"Your shirt's all wet," he said. "It's why I don't wear mine."

"Really?" Kaiba passed him a look. "I thought it was because you were a brazen attention monger."

He grinned and stretched, entirely to show off. "You can enjoy your dignity. At least I'm dry."

Yugi's face scrunched up. "You guys said you'd be nice."

"I am being nice," they said at the same time, spurring another laughing fit from Yugi. The resulting argument and relentless teasing continued even as the credits played. More than once they earned a smile from Kaiba, but he would swear against it in any court of law. By the end of the evening, he'd stopped worrying about the new look. It didn't cross his mind again until Roland picked him up in the car.

The hair probably wouldn't last, and neither would the nails. But he enjoyed them for what they were now. A returned to his natural state would mean more opportunities to join Yugi and Joey in the future anyway. It gave him something to look forward to.


End file.
